In partnership with the TOPS @ SPAR Wine Show and with the support of wine.co.za, wine lovers had the possibility to put their taste to the test, trying to identify 10 wines sent to them in anonymous vinitubes. 48 wines were selected to offer the contestant the best of South African wineries. In order to help the participants to identify the wine, Cathy van Zyl MW and Jean-Vincent Ridon (ASI Sommelier) produced one video per wine, giving clues and descriptions for each bottle. These videos have been very successful on the SAWTC YouTube channel.
This new format is here to stay as it allows wine lovers around the country to join this search for a Supertaster! More than 200 entrants lodged their results online.
The Western Cape usually supplies most of the winners, but other Regional Champions earned their titles in this highly contested competition.
The highest score and Western Cape champion is Pieter de Waal
The Gauteng Champion is Warren Kemm From Centurion.
The Eastern Cape Champion is Michelle Coates from Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)
and the North West Champion is Kimberly Smith from Klerksdorp
These winners automatically qualify to participate in the 2021 National Championship Finals to be held on Sunday 12th of September 2021 at 10 am.
They will joined by the top scorers nationwide:
- Jono Le Feuvre
- François Cillie
- Andrea Erwee
- Heidi Kritzinger
- Danielle Le Roux
- Cyril Meidinger
- Fiona Bergmann
- Dr Gavin Smith
- Benthe Legg
- Stephanie Wiid
- Anita Streicher Nel
The organizers have a reserve of talented substitutes to step in if some contestants would not be able to join the online contest this Sunday. They will all receive identical fresh packs of 10 vinitubes containing a mix of South African and International Wines, in a format similar to the World Championship.
The National Finals will take place online, and all the contestants will have to open the tubes at the same time in front of their computer webcam, having ten minutes per wine, having to identify the cultivar for 10 points, the country of origin for 5 points, the appellation for 5 points, the producer for 3 points and the vintage for 2 points, so a potential maximum of 25 points per wine. At the end of the 10 wines they will submit their results to the jury, and we will crown the 2021 SuperTaster very soon after.
The winners will receive wines donated by the participating wineries. The uncertainty of traveling during the Pandemic will prevent a Team South Africa to go to the world championship on the 2nd of October in France, but the 5 best competitors of this year will have a guaranteed seat directly into the 2022 finals that will select the #TeamSA2022.
Who will be the 2021 Super Taster? We will know on Sunday!
